The Mariners have agreed to sign Dominican shortstop prospect Christopher Torres with a $375K bonus, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (Twitter links). Torres was rated the 18th-best overall international prospect available on this year’s July 2 market by MLB.com.
While Torres’s bonus is nothing to sneeze at, it falls well shy of the $2.1MM that he was reportedly promised by the Yankees before the club backed out of its commitment. New York is said to have been hit with a $20K fine over the situation.
As Ben Badler of Baseball America explained in reporting the dispute, Torres was left in a particularly difficult spot since other clubs had already promised their international pool space to other players. Torres’s trainer also told Badler that the player had previously been offered $1.6MM by Seattle before reaching terms with the Yankees. You’ll want to give Badler’s entire piece a read to understand the ordeal.
According to MLB.com, Torres brings a switch-hitting bat whose hit tool is better from the left side but delivers more power from the right. Defense and speed are his calling cards at present, though he has a large enough frame that he has some projection at the plate.
It’s worth noting that Christopher Torres reportedly is 16 years old.
Not all that uncommon for them to get their feet wet with an MLB team with the first time at that age. Although, that is a pretty huge signing bonus for one.
He will love the Mariner Moose!
dang. for $375k I wish the fish would have signed him. I’m pretty sure they have some money left over
I don’t know the legal protocol with International signings. Is a 20K fine evidence of Yankee wrongdoing or just a MLB PR slap on the wrist.